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About The IGF

IndieGames.com is presented by the UBM TechWeb Game Network, which runs the Independent Games Festival & Summit every year at Game Developers Conference. The company (producer of the Game Developers Conference series, Gamasutra.com and Game Developer magazine) established the Independent Games Festival in 1998 to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers.

Three members behind last year's survival driving sensation Nitronic Rush are gauging interest for their spiritual follow up Distance on Kickstarter and Steam Greenlight. Notable additions to Distance so far will be LAN and online multiplayer functionality in classic racing, tag, capture the flag, stunt mode, and more. The team will also add a level editor and modding tools.

These additions may sound like Distance is just trying to catch up to all the latest AAA racing game features, but much innovation is planned and is already rooted in its Nitronic Rush foundation. For instance, the exploration mode sounds more exciting than the traditional Grand Theft Auto style, since the car can jump, rotate, ride up building sides, and generally defy gravity. Players will be able to explore the city to find hidden paths and find secrets that reveal the city's past.

For $15 players can get access to the early beta and the released game on PC or Mac, and even get their name in the credits. The team may consider Linux once Unity4 is released, too.

The developers behind Distance are fresh out of DigiPen and calling themselves Refract Studios. The team collectively has worked on some internationally recognized titles: Sowlar, Solstice, Solace, and The Fourth Wall. Distance will be their first commercial effort.

Will the use of Kickstarter and Greenlight create a form of synergy so both campaigns succeed? I'm curious to see the results!